Dozens of journalists, politicians, and activists in Turkey are set to appear before courts this week in a sweeping array of trials seen as emblematic of the country’s ongoing crackdown on press freedom and dissent. The hearings span multiple provinces and include charges ranging from "membership in a terrorist organization" to "insulting public officials" and violations of the Law on Assemblies and Demonstrations.
Among the most closely watched is the opening hearing on April 18 of seven journalists who were detained and briefly jailed for covering protests following the sentencing of Istanbul Mayor Ekrem İmamoğlu in 2022. The case, to be heard at the Istanbul 62nd Criminal Court of First Instance, involves journalists Bülent Kılıç, Yasin Akgül, Zeynep Kuray, Gökhan Kam, Kurtuluş Arı, Ali Onur Tosun, Hayri Tunç, and Emre Orman.
April 15, Monday
-
09:30 – Ankara: Trial begins at the Ankara 38th Criminal Court of First Instance against those detained during a police crackdown on an election campaign event led by Güneş Gümüş, chair of the Socialist Workers’ Party of Turkey (SEP). Defendants are charged with violating the Law on Assemblies.
-
10:30 – Istanbul: The first hearing in the trial of journalist Necla Demir Arvas, who is in pretrial detention on charges of “membership in a terrorist organization,” will be held at the 23rd High Criminal Court.
-
10:45 – Ankara: Journalist Hayri Demir is again on trial at the 15th High Criminal Court on charges of “membership in a terrorist organization” and “propaganda,” following an overturned acquittal. A verdict is expected.
April 16, Tuesday
-
09:05 – Istanbul: Can Dündar faces the 22nd hearing of a long-running trial at the 22nd High Criminal Court over his participation in the “Editor-in-Chief on Watch” campaign in solidarity with the shuttered Özgür Gündemnewspaper. He is charged with publishing terrorist propaganda.
-
09:10 – Ağrı: Journalist Abdullah Kaya appears at the Ağrı 2nd High Criminal Court, accused of being a member of a terrorist organization. The Media and Law Studies Association (MLSA) is representing his defense.
-
09:30 – Diyarbakır: ÖHD member Necat Çiçek is on trial at the 5th High Criminal Court for alleged terrorist organization membership, based on the statements of a cooperating witness, Ümit Akbıyık.
-
10:00 – Diyarbakır: In the same investigation, lawyer Adile Salman, released under judicial control, appears in court on identical charges.
-
10:00 – Diyarbakır: Another related hearing for lawyer Süleyman Şahin will also take place, marking the fifth session of his trial for alleged membership in a terrorist group.
-
10:20 – Istanbul: In a separate, high-profile case, journalist Can Dündar faces his 12th hearing at the 14th High Criminal Court on charges of obtaining and revealing state secrets related to the 2014 MIT trucks case. He is accused of political or military espionage.
-
10:40 – Izmir: Mücadele Birliği newspaper reporter Lütfiye Burcu Kara appears in the second hearing of her trial at the 2nd High Criminal Court on charges of terrorist organization membership.
-
11:30 – Diyarbakır: The trial of organizers and staff of the 2016 Newroz celebrations continues at the 4th High Criminal Court. The event had previously drawn official scrutiny for alleged unauthorized demonstrations.
-
14:00 – Istanbul: The third hearing in the trial of journalist Melisa Gülbaş is scheduled at the 2nd Criminal Court of First Instance. She is accused of insulting a public official over a news report on Boğaziçi University’s TETAM research center.
April 17, Wednesday
-
10:00 – Tunceli (Dersim): Four individuals are on trial at the 1st Criminal Court of First Instance for participating in protests against the appointment of a state trustee (kayyım) to Dersim Municipality. They face charges of resisting law enforcement, damaging public property, and violating the Law on Assemblies.
-
10:00 – Istanbul: The first hearing in the trial of journalist Velat Ekin, who is in custody on charges of being a member of a terrorist organization, will be held at the 23rd High Criminal Court.
-
11:00 – Istanbul: Journalist İdris Yılmaz is scheduled to give a statement as a complainant at the 64th Criminal Court of First Instance over damage to his camera while covering a news event.
-
13:20 – Erciş: A retrial begins at the 1st Criminal Court of First Instance after the Court of Cassation overturned a previous conviction against İdris Yılmaz on charges of insult.
April 18, Thursday
-
09:45 – Diyarbakır: Journalist Naci Sapan, coordinator at Tigris Haber, appears at the 14th Criminal Court of First Instance over a column titled “Trustees and their little trustees,” in which he is accused of insulting public officials acting as a body.
-
09:45 – Istanbul: The 12th hearing in a civil defamation case filed by Berat Albayrak, former finance minister and President Erdoğan’s son-in-law, against journalist Hazal Ocak will be held at the 33rd Civil Court of First Instance.
-
10:00 – Istanbul: A separate defamation suit brought by Erdoğan’s former lawyer Mustafa Doğan İnal against journalist Furkan Karabay continues with its sixth hearing at the same court.
-
13:50 – Istanbul: Journalist Alican Uludağ appears in the fifth hearing of a trial at the 2nd Criminal Court of First Instance, accused of violating a confidentiality order in a news report.
April 19, Friday
-
10:30 – Istanbul: Seven journalists detained while covering protests after Ekrem İmamoğlu’s sentencing face their first hearing at the 62nd Criminal Court of First Instance. The journalists — including Bülent Kılıç, Yasin Akgül, Zeynep Kuray, Gökhan Kam, Kurtuluş Arı, Ali Onur Tosun, Hayri Tunç, and Emre Orman — were detained while documenting demonstrations in Saraçhane, a central district of Istanbul.
-
11:05 – Istanbul: Journalist Furkan Karabay is also due in court at the 56th Criminal Court of First Instance, facing charges of “insulting the president,” “slander,” and “insult” over comments made during an appearance on a YouTube program hosted by Mirgün Cabas.
The flurry of cases reflects what press freedom groups say is a sustained campaign of judicial harassment against critical voices in Turkey. The country consistently ranks near the bottom of global press freedom indexes and has been criticized by the Council of Europe and international human rights organizations for targeting journalists with anti-terrorism laws.
